The present invention relates to a pistol for setting surgical clamps having a pistol grip for operating a forceps closing mechanism and a removable staple magazine.
For hygienic reasons, only disposable pistols are used at the present time for setting surgical clamps which results in high costs. From the German patent 4303544 A1, a reloading magazine is known, which is fastened to the distal end of an endoscopic shaft in order to transfer clamps from the reloading magazine into a magazine of the pistol. With the reloading magazine, the disposable pistol is kept in use during the period of the surgical intervention by the reloading of clamps. However it is a disadvantage that a complicated reloading mechanism is necessary that the reloading mechanism requires special dexterity for reloading and does not preclude mechanical malfunctions, such as jamming of the clamps during their transfer, as well as defects in the reloading magazine and in the forceps-closing device. Furthermore, the pistol is disposed of at the end of the surgical intervention because sterilization of the pistol is not practical since the pistol consists of several individual parts, which must be disinfected and cleaned individually. Additionally, special tools and knowledge are required for disassembling and assembling the pistol and there are individual parts, such as springs, which can be cleaned only with great difficulty.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a pistol for setting surgical clamps which can be disassembled and assembled without mechanical aids and consists of a few, simple individual parts, which can easily be disinfected and cleaned, as well as sterilized in the assembled state.
Pursuant to the invention, a pistol for setting surgical clamps is provided comprising a clamp magazine disposed at the distal end of a tubular endoscopic shaft, a feeding mechanism for the clamps, and forceps with an associated forceps closing mechanism for setting the clamps. The feeding mechanism and the forceps closing mechanism are operated using a hand grip of the pistol. The clamp magazine has a lower magazine part and an upper magazine part permanently disposed on the lower magazine pan. The clamp magazine is insertable over guiding elements into the endoscopic shaft with the feeding mechanism and the clamps are contained in the clamp magazine. The forceps and the forceps closing mechanism are disposed below the clamp magazine with the forceps being exchangeable. The clamp magazine is open at an end facing the grip for introducing a push rod for a feeding slide with the feeding slide having a connecting piece into which the push rod is disposed and locked. An elastic latch locks the clamp magazine in the endoscopic shaft. The forceps closing mechanism has a leading incline engageable with a leading incline on the elastic latch to permit release of the elastic latch simultaneous with displacement of a filler piece on said forceps closing mechanism to permit release of the forceps.
A particular advantage of the invention lies in that the pistol, with the exception of the exchangeable clamp magazine, can be taken apart into a few individual parts in order to disinfect and clean the individual parts. It is very easy for medical personnel to prepare and sterilize the clamp pistol for an operation and to add a new and sterile clamp magazine. The costs associated with surgery and waste are largely decreased by this repeated use.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that the forceps locking mechanism and the clamp magazine locking mechanism can be operated simultaneously.